Alternatives to costly downtown relief line

With all of the talk of a downtown relief line for Yonge, one logical partial solution is frequently overlooked.

Why doesn’t the TTC link the Sheppard subway line at Yonge with the Downsview subway station on the Spadina line?

It makes sense for two reasons:

1) You make the Sheppard “stubway” more useful by allowing riders to travel further west and connect easily to a subway to York University and beyond.

2) Travellers coming from the north would have an alternative if there is a problem on one north-south line or the other, using that Yonge-Sheppard/Downsview subway extension as a shunt to get around the problem.

That extension should be on transit planners’ list of priorities.

Bruce Gates, Toronto

A point well made on a relief line not being a silver bullet. As well, consider the following:

1.) Expedite the completion of the installation of automatic train control on the #1 and #2 subway lines — this will increase the capacity of these two lines by at least 30 per cent.

2.) The completion of the Presto card fare collection system will also help.

Measures like these will postpone the need for the very costly relief line for a long time.